1. ©2004 NCEE Archived Information America’s Choice High School Design Bob Mackin, Director America’s Choice High Schools National Center on Education and the Economy High School Regional Summit May 21-22, 2004 Boston, MA

2. ©2004 NCEE 2 Who We Are America’s Choice Team of Educators Not-for-Profit Organization Leading Developer of Performance Standards and Assessments Track Record of Over 10 years of Standards- Based Reform Named in Obey Porter Legislation Based in Washington, D.C. Regional Offices in New York,NY; Jacksonville, FL; Ft. Worth, TX; Los Angeles, CA; West Orange, NJ and Louisville, KY

3. ©2004 NCEE 3 NCEE Regions

4. ©2004 NCEE 4 America’s Choice Goal/Mission All students graduate from high school ready for college without the need for remediation

5. 5 Student Performance Standards and Assessment Professional Learning Communities Parent/Guardian And Community Involvement High Performance Management, Leadership and Organization Aligned Instructional System

6. ©2004 NCEE 6 Research Proven Strategies America’s Choice uses best practices that are research proven, i.e., they work Performance standards for students and teachers using student work as the heart of classroom instruction Carefully developed and tested materials Readers and Writers Workshops that provide strong rituals and routines and result in developing strong reading and writing skills in different genres

7. ©2004 NCEE 7 Research Proven Strategies Continued America’s Choice uses best practices that are research proven, i.e., they work A mathematics program that results in teachers understanding concepts and pedagogy and students experiencing investigations, solution methods and problem solving Coaching, mentoring and technical assistance: Job-embedded professional development that contributes to the success of the leadership team and classroom teachers across content areas

8. ©2004 NCEE 8 Design Task One: Standards and Assessment Standards-based Instruction in all subject areas with a focus on literacy across content areas

9. ©2004 NCEE 9 Design Task Two: Aligned Instructional System Engaging Instruction focused on Literacy and Math –Literacy training for as many ELA teachers as possible –Literacy training in content areas for whole faculty –Ramp-Up programs in ELA and math –Use of “portfolios” by grade 9 and 10 teams in 4 core academic subjects

10. ©2004 NCEE 10 Design Task Two: Aligned Instructional System Engaging Instruction focused on Literacy and Math –Math literacy via the Core Assignments –Safety net programs –Project-based learning in Upper Division

11. ©2004 NCEE 11 Design Task Three: High Performance Management, Leadership and Organization Leadership –Distributed leadership via a Leadership Team –Principal and Design coach establish a professional learning culture via class visits, focus on student work, clarifying performance standards, building schedule to suit design, etc. –Principal is vision keeper and communicator of design –25 Books Campaign –Alignment with state standards and state assessments –Planning for Results (using data to improve performance)

12. ©2004 NCEE 12 Design Task Three: High Performance Management, Leadership and Organization Small Learning Communities –Lower Division/Upper Division –Grade 9 teams/Grade 10 teams –Houses grades 9 and 10 –Class teacher/advisor for 2 years at Lower Division –Upper Division Small Learning Communities programs

13. ©2004 NCEE 13 Design Task Four: Professional Learning Communities Professional Learning Communities –Intensive focus on building a collaborative work culture –Regular meetings of faculty in study/critical friends groups, minimally one per month –Professional staff looks together at data, student work, teaching practice - via teams, critical friends groups, teacher meetings, department meetings, etc.

14. ©2004 NCEE 14 Design Task Five: Parent/Guardian and Community Involvement Parent/Guardian Community Engagement –Appoint Parent Community Outreach Coordinator –Foster links to community for career-based programs (e.g. internships within academies at Upper Division)

15. ©2004 NCEE 15 America’s Choice gets results by: Raising student achievement in reading, writing and math Increasing the percentages of students who meet state standards Closing the achievement gaps among groups of students

16. ©2004 NCEE 16 Results Castle Park High School

17. ©2004 NCEE 17 Taft High School Cincinnati High School

18. Standards and Assessment Professional Learning Communities Parent/Guardian and Community Involvement High Performance Management, Leadership and Organization Aligned Instructional System Student Performance

19. ©2004 NCEE 19 Ramp-Up to Advanced Literacy is a key safety net in a comprehensive, standards-based design. It targets students who are 2-4 grade levels behind in reading on a standardized measure. Its purpose is to bring students up to grade level and prepare them to function effectively in an on-level English class. What Is Ramp-up?

20. ©2004 NCEE 20 The Course Organized as a double block. (90 min.) No more than 20 students. Reading/Writing Workshop structure divided into four interrelated parts: –Independent Reading (15-20 mins.) –Read Aloud/Think Aloud (15-20 mins.) –Work Period (40 mins.) –Closing (5-10 mins.) Cross-age Tutoring.

21. ©2004 NCEE 21 Required P.D. Total of 9 days training plus an additional day of training for principals on monitoring implementation. 5 days in summer, 2 days follow-up in fall, and 2 days follow-up in spring. Summer training prepares teachers for first 30-45 days of the school year and focuses heavily on the rituals and routines of effective workshop methods.

22. ©2004 NCEE 22 Fall And Spring Follow-up Sessions focus on: Student work and assessment analysis. Roll-out of next Author or Genre Study. Debriefing implementation. Teachers’ specific concerns. Note: 1200 NYC teachers of ELA were trained in the summer of 2003!!